Have You Written Your First Press Release Yet?

When just starting out in your business, some would say its difficult to get the word out about your business without spending a ton of money.  On the contrary...there are plenty of ways to tell the world about you and what you are doing in your business, without spending a ton of money.  One of them is to write a press release.

There have been a million articles written about it and many of them are very informative.  I won't bore you with another rendition so...

Here's a great "how to" that'll get you started on your press release.

Tomorrow I'll present the NEXT Aspiring Challenge, so read the above link and come back tomorrow for all the details!! 

Until next time...

Aspire to Plan!

Effective Marketing

Creating the marketing "copy" for your website and business collateral can be tricky. One thing I've noticed is that many service providers...including ones in the wedding industry...most ordinary providers all sound like everyone else.  Boring!

When creating your marketing materials, there is one thing that is very important when describing your services. Always talk about the benefits as opposed to the features of your product or service.  It's a surefire way to stand out among so many.

For instance...

My service is coaching aspiring wedding planners and speaking on the subject. When I coach planners, the benefit they receive is that they will begin their businesses with the right business, marketing and operational plans so that they are successful from the start. They attract more brides, feel more at ease when speaking to others about their business and they learn how to operate their business efficiently.

What benefits do you provide for your clients? Be sure to talk about them often in your marketing...otherwise, you'll sound like ever other planner out there. And you want to stand out, don't you?

Until next time...

Aspire to Plan!

Getting Clients, Part 2

Yesterday, we talked about how frustrated I was when I started my wedding planning business because I couldn't get clients. A friend of mine told me to make a list of all the people I knew and to indicate on this list, whether or not they knew about my wedding planning business. After that exercise I realized that these were the people that knew me and that would be my biggest cheerleaders when referring my business.

Here are two great ways to get that first paying client using the people you already know:

Send letters of introduction to everyone you know. Send 5-10 letters each week. Hand write a note at the top of each one to make the letter more personal. (Hi Rachel! It's been so long since we've seen each other. Would love to catch up over a cup of coffee. I'll call you this week. Best, Wendy.")

Follow up with each person by phone and ask them to have coffee with you so you can catch up on their lives and what they are doing, talk to them about your new wedding planning business and ask them if they know anyone that may need your services. This is called educating your personal advocates. These are people who know you, like you and trust you so who better to get the word out about you and your business?

Take on a few planning projects for free. Once your circle of friends recommend brides to you, take on 1 or 2 "scholarship" brides and do some planning for them. My first two weddings in Phoenix were friends of mine from my church. I planned and designed both of their weddings at no charge so that I could sharpen my skills and start creating my portfolio.

Find someone you know personally or through a friend or relative, that is engaged and offer to help them plan their wedding for free. Be sure to take pictures of any design work that you do and go above and beyond in your service to them. Don't forget to have the couples give you testimonials in return for your planning work. Be specific about what kind of referral you want from them. Ask them how you made the planning process easier for them and tell them to include that in the testimonial.

Be sure to follow up with them every few months or so to see how things are going and to find out if they know of anyone else that is getting married. I'm sure they will be more than thrilled to send new business your way!

And the referral cycle will grow!

If you want more information about how to get clients this way or other areas of building your business, I now offer one to one coaching calls once a week to aspiring wedding planners. Email me at info {at} aspiretoplan {dot} com for more information. I'll be happy to help!

Until next time...

Aspire to Plan!

Getting Your First Client

Many of the emails I get from aspiring planners ask me how I got my first client. I'd done weddings for family and friends on the east coast before moving to Phoenix but I never really charged anyone for it.

I didn't have my first paying client until six months after I launched my business in 2005. I don't remember exactly how the bride found me because at that time I didn't realize that I should be tracking that kind of information. (I do now!)

But after that, there was no miraculous flood of clients knocking on my door and I was still frustrated because I had no clients.

I advertised, I networked (not successfully but I was "out there") and I read lots of books on marketing and building a client base...but none of them worked really well for me. I must have changed my pricing a dozen times because I thought my rates were too low...too high. I wasn't getting vendor referrals because no one really "knew" me or my services well enough to recommend me. I had quite a few initial consultations in those six months but none of them ever turned into paying clients.

And then one day I had a phone conversation with the editor of a popular services guide here in town and he asked me how business was. I told him how discouraged I was that I hadn't been able to land any clients despite doing all the things I thought I should do. He told me that in the beginning stages of building a business, its not what you know but WHO you know. You've heard that before, right? Well that old adage is very true. Until your industry colleagues get to know your service style and you gain credibility, its going to be difficult to get clients.

My editor friend then asked me to make a list of everyone I know from work, church, my gym, my hair and nail salons...everyone. He said that these are the people that you have a relationship with and can vouch for your character.

Then he told me to indicate next to each person's name whether they know about my new wedding planning business or not.

When I was done, I had a HUGE list! A light bulb went off...

People will refer business to you when they...

Know you...
Like you...and
Trust you.

Period.

Tomorrow, we'll talk about a few ways to use the people you know to get client referrals.

Until next time...

Aspire to Plan!

The Phone Consult

When I had my very first face to face initial consultation, I gave the bride a bouquet of six roses in my company's signature colors...pink and lavendar. She was very appreciative and it made a great first impression...or so I thought. I spent close to 90 minutes with her..answered her questions about her wedding and basically gave her several solutions to obstacles she was facing. She took those ideas and planned the rest of her wedding...without hiring me.

Lesson learned.

For this reason, I now pre-qualify my potential clients over the phone whenever possible. I use a questionnaire that helps me determine whether or not they are seriously looking to hire a planner or just price shopping.

I'll ask permission to go over a few questions in order to assess where the bride is in her planning process and what it is they think they need. I also explain how the question and answer session will benefit her. Some brides don't always know what stage of planning they are in or whether or not they need a planner at all. (Although, I think EVERY bride needs a planner!)

The process helps to give her a sense of direction...one that I've seen lacking in newly engaged brides. This is very valuable to her because more than likely, she's finding that all the choices she has to make are becoming a bit overwhelming. And as a planner, this begins to build credibility and trust for me.

The goal is to find brides that fit your ideal profile...your niche. Not every bride is for you. We'll explore this a bit more in detail in the next post but hopefully you have a group of planner friends that you can refer her to if you find that she isn't your ideal bride or that she needs another type of vendor. Remember? Networking and building relationships is necessary to build a successful business.

Here's a link to a good pre-qualifying lead questionnaire. It can be customized to fit your particular wedding planning niche or specialty.

Let me know how it works out for you!

Until then...

Aspire to Plan!

Networking With the Stars

One way to market your business is to network. Networking is an integral part of introducing and maintaining your company brand to your local market. It is essential for building credibility and trust because let's face it...most vendors won't recommend your services unless you've worked with them (successfully) or they've seen your work in some other capacity. The integrity of their business depends on maintaining good associations with other industry vendors.

I posted a tweet on twitter recently that read, "Follow people that are smarter than you...if you are the smartest one in the room, then you are in the wrong room!" I love this advice and use it in my own life all the time. If I want to learn how to dance, then I'm going to dance with a pro...if I want to learn how to take killer photos, then I'm going to hang out with a top photographer in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area.

If you want to become a expert at wedding planning then you'll have to find someone in your local area that is willing to show you the ropes without compromising their company brand. For this to work, you must be someone willing to learn the basics of planning but you MUST find your own niche instead of copying the work of someone else. Many planners I know will not help aspiring planners because they've been burned in the past...don't burn your bridges by failing to find your own specialty to offer the wedding market. You won't last in this business unless you do.

The most important aspect in networking? Getting to know someone in a way that has nothing to do with the wedding industry. Be interesting. Share details about your personal life...your family, hobbies...places you like to travel. Really get to know the people you want to work with. And be genuine about it. People can tell when you're really not interested in them.

Share your strengths with others in ways that will help them. Are you really good at using Excel spreadsheets? If you meet someone that is struggling with them, offer to teach them what you know. Chatting with someone who has had trouble finding a reliable landscaper for their yard? Recommend yours. Networking is really no different than getting to know someone you meet in a social setting, so get out there in meet some stars!

Until then...

Aspire to Plan!

What Goes Into A Marketing Plan?

Some of you may be wondering what a marketing plan is...really. It's not a business plan...that is a much more complicated document that takes several weeks and sometimes months to prepare. I worked on my business plan for more than a year and it covers my company structure, operations and financial projections for the next 5 years. A marketing plan is generally prepared in 12 month blocks and includes action steps that will hopefully turn your efforts into paying clients. It is also an evolving document because as marketing activities succeed or fail, you will need to change your plan activities accordingly.

There are several sections to include in your marketing plan. One of them is describing your current company situation and what resources you have in order to implement your plan. Another important section is to list the goals and objectives you have. Make them measurable like the amount of money you want to earn or the number of clients you would like to work with.

There are several other important sections to include in your marketing plan however I'd like to concentrate on the actual activities that are included in the plan.

Choosing which activities to include in a marketing plan will depend on two important factors:

Cost
Availability to execute

There are some activities that are low cost or no cost...like blogging...but it requires a commitment of time. Some activities will require a large investment of time...like networking...but may not be right for you because you're starting your business as part time. You may not have the time to get out each week to networking events. Whichever ones you choose, setting aside the money and the time you'll need for each activity in your marketing plan will give you a road map for your marketing success.

Here's a short list of marketing activities you may choose:

Advertising
Blogging
Social Networking
Direct Marketing
Email Marketing
Networking
Partnerships and Joint Ventures
Public Relations
Newsletter
Referral Marketing
Search Engine Optimization
Speaking Engagements

Choose at least three to four activities for your plan. Map them out on a calendar weekly and monthly so you are always performing some sort of marketing activity.

(Download an example of a marketing calendar for a fictitious wedding planning company. You'll need Adobe Acrobat to view. Download Adobe Acrobat here.)

Having a calendar helps to keep you focused on what activities need to be done and when. It will also help when tracking results. This will come in handy when trying to determined whether or not to continue a specific activity. You'll be able to attribute the increase or decrease in business based on when you implement specific activities in your plan.

Consistency is also very important to the success of any marketing activity and it also creates legitimacy for your brand. Potential clients and vendors will see that you are serious about your business and care about its success. If you're going to blog, blog consistently...if you're going to publish a newsletter, send it out when you say you're going to send it out..consistently.

Developing a marketing plan is one of the many modules that will be covered in our workshop coming later this year. In the meantime, if you have specific marketing plan questions or would like more info on our workshop, email us at info{at} aspiretoplan {dot} com, and we would be happy to help.

Until then...

Aspire to Plan!

Marketing That Fits Your Niche

When I began to write this post on marketing your business, I kept getting stuck on where to take you next. As I started writing I kept thinking about my experience with print advertising and decided instead to share with you some things I learned about it. Advertising is only one type of marketing activity.

Here's a resource link that defines the terms marketing, advertising, promotions, etc. in a simple way. While they are similar activities, they are distinctly different.

In our two part article on finding your niche, we challenged you with finding the type of client that you want to work with. This exercise should have identified a unique client demographic specific to your passion and talent for wedding planning.

For instance, I LOVE and am passionate about food, family, music and even though I'm a planner...LOVE impromptu gatherings. My ideal couple? They want to spend most of their budget on food and beverage, they care deeply about their family and friends and they want a wedding celebration that makes them feel super comfortable.

They want the music to be fantastic and they aren't so concerned about pomp and circumstance...they just want to have a fun reception. One of my clients hired a couple of streakers (well, not really...they had on bathing suits. The "bride" streaker wore a white bikini and the "groom" streaker wore a black speedo), run through the reception to get the after party started with a bang. Hey...don't believe me? I've got pictures!

Where I target most if not all of my marketing dollars is clearly defined by my ideal couple. I booked some clients from magazine and other print ads but not enough to justify the expense. Now that my business has evolved and my clientele has changed, I don't spend much on print advertising. My ideal client won't necessarily look for a planner by looking through bridal magazines.

Instead I concentrate on marketing my business in other ways...like through my website and blog, networking, social media, etc.

Which of these marketing tools do you struggle with in your business?

Until next time...

Aspire to Plan!

Marketing - Business Cards

The success or failure of the goals you've set for your wedding planning business are tied to many things besides your personal effort. Economic climate, consumer psyche, your competition...are all things that are largely out of your control. Your business collateral, on the other hand, is...are? Forgive my grammer mis-step...

Today I want to talk about your business cards. In addition to your "30-second commercial", they are essential when marketing your business one to one and when you attend networking events. They're also very economical so they won't bust your marketing budget. Always carry them with you and hand them out liberally because you never know where your next opportunity will come from. Think of your business card as a mini billboard for your company.

Invest some quality time in creating them and be sure to use imagery that will appeal to your market. If you can afford it, hire a good graphic artist. They will listen to your vision and then transform it into collateral that matches your brand.

I love butterflies and I love the colors pink and purple. The graphic artist I worked with early on in my business, came up with this beautiful butterfly as my logo.

Pretty, right? Yes. Good for business? Not so much. It caught the attention of many brides but didn't end up converting well. The image was juvenile and whimsical...it didn't project a professional enough image for brides to take me seriously. Lesson? Make sure your logo and font choices match the market you are trying to reach.

Other tips:

Don't skimp on quality. If you are trying to decide what to spend your limited marketing dollars on, your business collateral is one of them. Cheap makes you look cheap!

Don't over do it on the fonts and graphics. Your service to your client should always be dazzling but keep the swirls and swooshes to a minimum when it comes to your business cards and brochures.

Don't overload your card either. Including your name and title are no brainers but seriously...three phone numbers, two email addresses, a website and blog address, fax number etc. is overkill. Keep it simple!

Tomorrow we'll talk about brochures and low cost ways to advertise your new wedding planning business. I'll share some thoughts on print advertising versus online advertising. I'll also tell you what to do with that Twitter account you signed up for months ago, but haven't found the time to use!

Until then...

Aspire to Plan!

Creating Your Marketing Plan

I love the movie Pretty Woman. Remember Vivian's roommate, Kit? Towards the end of the movie she's chatting with another girl about being her new roommate (since Julia Roberts is on her way to live in luxury with Richard Gere) and she asks the woman, "You gotta have a goal, do you have a goal?"

The goal of being in business is to attract and retain clients. In order to attract clients you have to show them what you have to offer. Printing and distributing business cards and putting up a website is a good start but its not going to generate a steady stream of clients. It is going to take a well thought out plan and implementation of market specific activities in order to accomplish the goals you have for your business.

Marketing your new business may sound like a huge project and it may scare you silly (I know because I was) but it is an essential part of doing business. There are many types of marketing activities that you can make a part of your marketing plan but finding the right mixture is key. There's no fast and easy rule on which ones will work and which ones won't...it's all up to what you are comfortable with and what your market responds to.

This week we will look at a few marketing methods and how to implement them in your business. We'll also talk about how different markets might respond to them. This is by no means a complete list, but they are some of the more popular ways in which wedding planners market their businesses.

I'll share some personal stories of how these methods did or did not work for me and what I did to adjust my business model. I'll also share a sample marketing calendar so you can see how to implement your plan.

Popular Marketing Methods for Wedding Planners:

Business Collateral
Advertising
Networking Events
Client Referrals
Vendor Partnerships or Joint Ventures
Speaking Engagements

See you back here tomorrow...until then...

Aspire to Plan!